Entertainment: A must-have for your social media strategy
It’s no secret: capturing users’ attention is becoming increasingly challenging, not only because of the sheer volume of content (generated by both brands and users) saturating social media, but also due to changes in consumption patterns.
How do you make users stop to watch your content? Even more importantly, how do you get users interested in interacting with and following your brand? Adding the “entertainment” factor to your mix of social media content could be your best solution.
According to Hootsuite’s study on social media trends for 2024, the second main reason people use social media is for entertainment and relaxation, after staying in touch with family and friends. Additionally, 34% of users develop a negative perception of brands that engage in excessive self-promotion on social media.
We don’t deny that brands must promote their products and services on social media, as business goals are an undeniable priority. However, incorporating entertaining content that doesn’t appear overly promotional (even if it is, subtly) into social media planning can boost engagement, connection with the brand, and ultimately, return on investment (ROI).
In content plans, it’s crucial to identify users’ areas of interest, especially those linked to the spaces brands want to conquer. As mentioned, the content should primarily focus on providing value and/or entertainment, without forgetting the product. Strategically, brands can seamlessly incorporate the product through set props, merchandise, and other subtle nods, avoiding overly promotional content.
Social listening is a great practice for identifying topics that genuinely interest your target audience. For example, on TikTok, it’s very common for brands to generate content based on comments in previous videos.
Do you want to boost your social media with entertaining content? Keep reading to discover some ways to achieve just that.
1.Info-tainment… with a focus on entertainment.
Info-tainment has been one of the major trends in 2023 and will continue to thrive in 2024. Through infotainment, brands can delve into topics of user interest and answer questions related to their expertise to add value to their audiences. However, when creating informative content, brands should not only think about what to say, but also how to say it.
For example, a polished 10-minute video explaining the best places to eat in your city is not the same as a dynamic 30-second TikTok that condenses that information using the language of Generation Z.
The world of information is transforming, especially concerning informative content aimed at younger generations. A great example is Ac2ality, which turns information into entertainment by presenting news in a social media format: in one minute, with memes, and using simple, fresh language.
The success of information transformed into entertainment is evident, as Ac2ality has become the second-largest news publisher in Europe. This also applies to your brand; considering user consumption preferences, you can apply your industry expertise to inform your audience about topics related to your products in a fresh and lighthearted format, leveraging resources like memes, audios, and popular filters on each platform.
2. User-Generated Content, your best ally.
Did you know that users can be your greatest allies in content creation?
Large influencers are no longer the sole stars of brands. Often, these profiles are not accessible to all budgets, and in some cases, they have lost closeness with their audience. In recent years, a new force has emerged: micro and nano influencers, who, despite having fewer followers, can generate credible and authentic content for brands.
Did you know that 4 out of 5 respondents are more likely to trust the recommendation of an anonymous customer than an influencer Consumers value authenticity and credibility, trusting people they perceive as relatable and genuine rather than public figures.
Incorporating nano and micro influencers into your marketing strategy has multiple advantages. To begin with, these creators are easily identifiable within your follower base, strengthening your sense of community by giving them visibility.
Additionally, they are often more accessible in terms of costs and, in many cases, are more open to collaborations than influencers with a large following.
To unify the content of creators and further enhance your brand’s presence in posts, hashtags play a crucial role. There are hashtags created by brands and others that arise naturally from the community, but having this unifying element is crucial, making the content more recognizable and fostering a sense of community. Some examples of this include #SpringfieldCreators, #Stradilooks, and #SheinHaul.
3. Social activations, it’s time to let the creativity of your brand soar.
In the realm of Social Media, the “media” is increasingly taking centre stage, and the potential of platforms for brands to produce content focused on pure entertainment and fun is expanding.
As we discussed in the latest report on the online fashion industry, a clear example of a recent social activation was the Springfield initiative called “Chica, ¿qué dices?” (Girl, what are you saying?), where the influencer @grtamara created humorous sketches on current topics.
For instance, on Valentine’s Day, she interacted with people passing by a Springfield store, asking them questions and issuing challenges. Additionally, she added a touch of pop culture, as this is often an effective tool for brands when creating entertaining content.
On another occasion, @grtamara, during the awards season, performed a sketch about the Oscars from her home using wigs, costumes, and a minimally produced but very fun set.
What can we learn from this? Brands can step away from their traditional narratives and product-focused content to create content that humanises the brand, generating a positive response from the community. In a competitive environment where brands strive to capture users’ attention, standing out through humour can add value to your digital strategy.
4. Podcasts, the enormous potential of audio.
Did you know that the world of audio is growing and represents a huge opportunity for brands? 57% of internet users listen to online audio formats, and of this percentage, 66% do so daily. Furthermore, within the realm of audio, podcasts are one of the categories that has grown the most in recent years, and Spain is the leading country for podcast listening in Europe.
Regardless of your industry, there are opportunities for you to develop a podcast. You only need two things: a good understanding of your consumer (to grasp what topics interest them), and a lot of creativity. At Good Rebels, we helped develop the General Óptica podcast, called “Ojipláticos,” where the world of optics is explored in a fresh, fun, and above all, entertaining way.
One significant advantage of creating a podcast is its enormous potential for distribution on different channels and formats. In addition to uploading episodes on platforms like Spotify, Apple Music, and YouTube, you can use it to create reels and videos on TikTok based on its content. This way, it will open the doors for you to share episode recaps, highlights, and/or funny situations, significantly extending the life of your content.
5. Artificial intelligence, streamlining content creation.
Artificial intelligence has enormous potential in the world of marketing and communication. If you want to explore this world in an accessible and direct way, we recommend Rebel Intel, where you’ll find insights to keep you up to date with AI developments.
Here, we’ll focus on how AI can help you create entertaining content. From shaping ideas for content to allowing you to create images and videos in seconds, artificial intelligence can enhance your creative process. However, this doesn’t mean that new technologies will take away the work of creativity experts and content creators; instead, they will boost their ideas and help execute them more efficiently.
Major brands like Domino’s Pizza leverage the power of AI to create marketing content focused on engagement. For example, on the premiere days of Barbie and The Little Mermaid movies, they launched carousels with AI-generated images, showcasing characters enjoying Domino’s pizzas.
From theory to practice.
There is no one-size-fits-all formula for social media; based on your brand’s identity and needs, some strategies will fit better than others. However, it’s always important to keep in mind where social media is heading and how consumer behaviour is evolving.
When your brand discovers how to capitalise on its areas of expertise and understand users at the same time, it will be able to generate content that goes beyond typical product promotion, becoming a source of value and entertainment.
Once you have analysed potential themes and the territories your brand should cover, it’s time to leverage the potential of UGC (user-generated content), AI, and different formats that are currently successful.
Don’t forget to constantly analyse the content you’ve created, especially qualitatively. Reading comments and the conversation generated on social media will be extremely useful for generating future content, opening doors to new ideas and content themes based on your community.
Are you ready to take your social media strategy to the next level?
